Robin M Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Happy Sunday and Welcome to week eighteen in our Open Roads Reading Adventure. Greetings to all our readers and everyone following our progress. Mister Linky is available weekly on 52 Books in 52 Weeks to share a link to your book reviews. Time to say goodbye to our grand walking adventures through Iceland and jump on board the good ship May. We are traveling to the Scandinavian Peninsula to explore Norway, Sweden and Finland as we cruise the Fjords. We are going to follow in the path of Norwegian authors Karin Fossum and Jo Nesbo as well as explore Scandinavian and Nordic literature. Check out 11 Books that will make you book a Scandinavian vacation or take a trip back into history through historical fiction or nonfiction. Our flower of the month is the Lily of the Valley which is the national flower of Finland. Lilies symbolize humility, purity, and luck. They represent happiness and are supposed to protect gardens from evil. The Lily is also believed to the flower of the fairies and are called fairy ladders in Ireland. According to biblical legend Mary's tears turned into Lily of the Valley when she cried at the cross, so are also known as Mary's tears. Historically, King Charles IX was gifted a lily for luck on May 1, 1561, and continued the tradition, handing out flowers to the women of his court. Royal brides Queen Victoria, Kate Middleton, and Grace Kelly used Lilies for their bridal bouquets. There are a number of directions to go. For this month's Blossom Bookology challenge, you need only spell out Lily. Read one book per letter using either the title and/or the first or last name of the author. Yes, you can mix it up. You may read a book with the name of the flower, color of the flower in the title, or on the cover. Another possibility is a book which takes place in the time period or flower's country of origin or has some cultural significance and/or symbolism of the flower. The choices are unlimited. The third leg of our Brit Tripping takes us to Ichnield Way and starts on the Isle of Wight, the famous holiday destination favored by the Victorians including Queen Victoria herself who died on the island. Rabbit trails: Isle of Wight WWII Osborne House Hauntings What are you reading this week? Link to week 17 posted via my iPhone as house internet giving us grief. Google docs coming in handy. Any format issues will fix later. ❤️ 9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 29, 2018 Author Share Posted April 29, 2018 Currently reading Rick Tandy’s Last Wave in his 5th wave series. More later when get internet issues figured out. ?❤️?? 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 I am going to post quickly as we are on our way out for a few hours. My Isle of Wight book will be The Day of the Triffids https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10856732-the-day-of-the-triffids. So I am on the Rebel Bus this week! Actually looking forward to a bit of Sci Fi. Still trying to finish my Ann Cleeves https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34318949-telling-tales and I am up to When Maidens Mourn in my CS Harris reread. Robin, I hope your internet issues resolve quickly! 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 I'm planning to finish Blue Lightning - one of Ann Cleeves' Shetland mysteries - hopefully this week. Once I finish I'll start A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea, which Amira will be leading as a read along. She posted on the main Chat Board a while back when Amazon offered several free Kindle books from around the world. I'm not happy with either of my current audio books. I stopped listening to The Cider House Rules because it was sagging in the middle. The other day (after finishing A Higher Loyalty) I started a Kate Morton novel, The Forgotten Garden, and I quickly got bored. This is only my third Kate Morton and already I'm tired of the formula. Here's how it goes: -Switch back and forth in time usually distant past, recent past, and present. Every book has basically the same historical time period. -There's a family secret that is often more shocking because of the fact that it was kept a secret (rather than the secret itself). -Predictable twist at the end. Only the names and locations change and even the locations don't change all that much. I wouldn't mind if the writing was wonderful but it's just okay. They aren't badly written novels but they aren't great. When you add average writing to a predictable formula it gets old quickly. I know she has a lot of fans, so if any of you are here on BaW I apologize. Hopefully A River in Darkness will be a quick read. I think it only has about 200 pages. I need to also start my IRL book club book, Little Fires Everywhere. Our meeting is the same week Amira will be starting the discussion of her read along. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 15 hours ago, tuesdayschild said: I like certain fluffier books on audio more than in printed format (Mrs. Pollifax, Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer, Miss Read) but most other books I like printed format to skip the swearing, if any, for the same reason Laura mentioned! Babylon's Ark ~ Lawrence Anthony on audio was seriously jarring for me. Based on the books you like to listen to I think you'd really enjoy the Brother Cadfael mysteries narrated by Patrick Tull. Even though they're mysteries they tend towards the cozier end like Agatha Christie. 1 hour ago, Robin M said: Time to say goodbye to our grand walking adventures through Iceland and jump on board the good ship May. We are traveling to the Scandinavian Peninsula to explore Norway, Sweden and Finland as we cruise the Fjords. We are going to follow in the path of Norwegian authors Karin Fossum and Jo Nesbo as well as explore Scandinavian and Nordic literature. Check out 11 Books that will make you book a Scandinavian vacation or take a trip back into history through historical fiction or nonfiction. Impressive! You managed to get us up and running even without internet. I've never read any Scandinavian literature. This week I will fix that. Off to research links now. (If anyone has any recommendations I'm happy to take those too. Is there such a thing as a cozy Scandinavian mystery?!?!) 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 55 minutes ago, aggieamy said: Is there such a thing as a cozy Scandinavian mystery?!?!) Well, I found Death comes to Strandvig: A Scandinavian Cozy (The Strandvig Mysteries Book 1) by Diane Hansen-Ingram. Regards, Kareni 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Two books read/listened to this week: Miss Budley Falls From Grace- third in the Poor Relation series. Enjoyed it but I think I need a break from these. I'll have to check to see what county (besides London) it is set in. Imprudent Lady This was a reread and was as much fun as the first time around. Do rereads count for our Brit Trip? It is set in London and the last 1/4 of the story takes place in Bath so that is Somerset. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 3 hours ago, aggieamy said: Based on the books you like to listen to I think you'd really enjoy the Brother Cadfael mysteries narrated by Patrick Tull. Even though they're mysteries they tend towards the cozier end like Agatha Christie. Patrick Tull is a delightful narrator. It was his reading of the Master and Commander series that got me hooked and kept me enthralled through all 18 or 19 of them. I wasn't aware he had also read the Brother Cadfael mysteries, but if he is reading, and you enjoy a mystery, then they be worth listening to! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 3 hours ago, aggieamy said: Based on the books you like to listen to I think you'd really enjoy the Brother Cadfael mysteries narrated by Patrick Tull. Even though they're mysteries they tend towards the cozier end like Agatha Christie. I might try these! I LOVE Patrick Tull. He is the narrator of the Master and Commander series and is so wonderfully expressive! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 I'm about halfway through the audiobook version of A Gentleman in Moscow, and I love it. There are so many touchstones in the book to works I've read in the last year, from War and Peace (there is a one-eyed cat named General Kutuzov!) to Grand Hotel to The Noise of Time. One of the books I picked up yesterday at Independent Bookstore Day, was the 6th of the Rivers of London series. I've determined that I can spend the rest of my Sunday reading it! I always think of Mumto2 when I read these as she was the one who kept recommending them to me. Thanks, Sandy!!!!! The other 2 books that I'm reading, even if I haven't picked them up in a week, are 3 Men in a Boat and River of Doubt. (Good grief I've got rivers running through most of my current reads!!) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 5 hours ago, Lady Florida. said: I'm planning to finish Blue Lightning - one of Ann Cleeves' Shetland mysteries - hopefully this week. The other day (after finishing A Higher Loyalty) I started a Kate Morton novel, The Forgotten Garden, and I quickly got bored. This is only my third Kate Morton and already I'm tired of the formula. Here's how it goes: -Switch back and forth in time usually distant past, recent past, and present. Every book has basically the same historical time period. -There's a family secret that is often more shocking because of the fact that it was kept a secret (rather than the secret itself). -Predictable twist at the end. Only the names and locations change and even the locations don't change all that much. I wouldn't mind if the writing was wonderful but it's just okay. They aren't badly written novels but they aren't great. When you add average writing to a predictable formula it gets old quickly. I know she has a lot of fans, so if any of you are here on BaW I apologize. Blue Lightning might be my favorite of the series. I've read Kate Morton's The House at Riverton and remember being beat over the head with foreshadowing. The premise AND the blurb made it sound so good - I think she was compared to Daphne du Maurier (!??). I wasn't impressed and am glad I'm not the only one. :) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 Sigh! I’m staring at the blue screen of death on my laptop thanks to Microsoft’s latest update. Three days of messing with this and I’m ready to get a new computer. One more thing to try. Wish me luck! 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuesdayschild Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 3 hours ago, aggieamy said: Based on the books you like to listen to I think you'd really enjoy the Brother Cadfael mysteries narrated by Patrick Tull. Even though they're mysteries they tend towards the cozier end like Agatha Christie. 25 minutes ago, JennW in SoCal said: Patrick Tull is a delightful narrator. It was his reading of the Master and Commander series that got me hooked and kept me enthralled through all 18 or 19 of them. I wasn't aware he had also read the Brother Cadfael mysteries, but if he is reading, and you enjoy a mystery, then they be worth listening to! Ooo, yes!! I do enjoy Cadfael! But have only ever listened to Stephen Thorne, or Derrick (sp?) Jacobi. Patrick Tull is not a narrator I've encountered yet.... off to 'search him up". Thank you. Kathy, that is such a good review of Morton's writing style.... <ducking and running> not a fan here either. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuesdayschild Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 2 minutes ago, Robin M said: Sigh! I’m staring at the blue screen of death on my laptop thanks to Microsoft’s latest update. Three days of messing with this and I’m ready to get a new computer. One more thing to try. Wish me luck! Sending all good thoughts your way!! (Computer 'illnesses' are very debilitating - thank you for the effort put in to keep us BaW-ing) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 6 minutes ago, Robin M said: One more thing to try. Wish me luck! Sending good computer thoughts your way, Robin! Regards, Kareni 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuesdayschild Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Sharing a bit of my day down here: It's Monday lunchtime and I'm off to soak up some autumnal sunshine and my audiobook (Tom Brown's School Days. Really enjoying this!) while I collect the walnuts and feijoa's that have fallen. The author makes mention of the Great Western Railway in chapt. 1 and then proceeds to take us on a small portion of the historic Roman Road and scenic tour in the first chapter. Counties ‘visited’ (White Horse Hill) Oxfordshire/ ( Battle of Ashdown ) Berkshire/ (Seven Barrows) Wiltshire. Tom has just gone to school so I'm currently in Warwickshire Good to see you on the Rebel Bus Sandy . My Isle of White read was First Lady ~ Sonia Purnell. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 We have had an exceptionally hectic semester but things slowed down a lot this week. They slowed enough, in fact, for me to suddenly notice the small domestic disasters that I have been studiously ignoring the past four months. These include the unpleasant realities that two of my children require orthodontic treatment, I need glasses, my house smells like a basement when it rains, and somehow I have gained 15 lbs in the last year. So! This week I read The Eight-Hour Diet, by David Zinczenko. The premise is that you can eat whatever you like for 8 hours a day, and then fast for the remaining 16. I have previously done the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet with some success but am just not up to that right now. This seems rather easier, and while the author's claims are IMO wildly overblown and unrealistic, it is definitely helping me stop the evening munching, and I am down about a pound in the last week. Terrible book, though -- very poorly written. I also read The Confusion of Languages, by Siobhan Fallon, a note about two Army spouses in Jordan who have a complicated friendship. I really thought I was going to like this one but it was just meh. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 7 hours ago, Lady Florida. said: I'm planning to finish Blue Lightning - one of Ann Cleeves' Shetland mysteries - hopefully this week. Once I finish I'll start A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea, which Amira will be leading as a read along. She posted on the main Chat Board a while back when Amazon offered several free Kindle books from around the world. I'm not happy with either of my current audio books. I stopped listening to The Cider House Rules because it was sagging in the middle. The other day (after finishing A Higher Loyalty) I started a Kate Morton novel, The Forgotten Garden, and I quickly got bored. This is only my third Kate Morton and already I'm tired of the formula. Here's how it goes: -Switch back and forth in time usually distant past, recent past, and present. Every book has basically the same historical time period. -There's a family secret that is often more shocking because of the fact that it was kept a secret (rather than the secret itself). -Predictable twist at the end. Only the names and locations change and even the locations don't change all that much. I wouldn't mind if the writing was wonderful but it's just okay. They aren't badly written novels but they aren't great. When you add average writing to a predictable formula it gets old quickly. I know she has a lot of fans, so if any of you are here on BaW I apologize. Hopefully A River in Darkness will be a quick read. I think it only has about 200 pages. I need to also start my IRL book club book, Little Fires Everywhere. Our meeting is the same week Amira will be starting the discussion of her read along. Well I just messed up the quotes so I guess I will be separating my posts. I also downloaded A River of Darkness but am a bit hesitant about spreading my reading out to include a read a long but hope to read it later this year or next. I have a huge library stack that is on it’s last renewal and for the most part they are books I am interested in. I am looking forward to hearing what you think of A River of Darkness. So Kate Morton.......I think I have read and enjoyed two of her books but haven’t bothered to binge read the rest. I think that says a lot about them. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 2 hours ago, Mothersweets said: Two books read/listened to this week: Miss Budley Falls From Grace- third in the Poor Relation series. Enjoyed it but I think I need a break from these. I'll have to check to see what county (besides London) it is set in. Imprudent Lady This was a reread and was as much fun as the first time around. Do rereads count for our Brit Trip? It is set in London and the last 1/4 of the story takes place in Bath so that is Somerset. Pretty sure I know the answer......Rereads are allowed for Brit Tripping! 59 minutes ago, JennyD said: We have had an exceptionally hectic semester but things slowed down a lot this week. They slowed enough, in fact, for me to suddenly notice the small domestic disasters that I have been studiously ignoring the past four months. These include the unpleasant realities that two of my children require orthodontic treatment, I need glasses, my house smells like a basement when it rains, and somehow I have gained 15 lbs in the last year. So! This week I read The Eight-Hour Diet, by David Zinczenko. The premise is that you can eat whatever you like for 8 hours a day, and then fast for the remaining 16. I have previously done the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet with some success but am just not up to that right now. This seems rather easier, and while the author's claims are IMO wildly overblown and unrealistic, it is definitely helping me stop the evening munching, and I am down about a pound in the last week. Terrible book, though -- very poorly written. I also read The Confusion of Languages, by Siobhan Fallon, a note about two Army spouses in Jordan who have a complicated friendship. I really thought I was going to like this one but it was just meh. Hugs regarding your end of the semester discoveries. Please keep us updated on the diet. I am trying to lose weight and have chosen to cut portions and snacking for a start. I didn’t want to obsess over the scales so I didn’t weigh myself when I started. Things are fitting better but I am about 6 weeks in and bored. I have started cheating. 2 hours ago, JennW in SoCal said: I'm about halfway through the audiobook version of A Gentleman in Moscow, and I love it. There are so many touchstones in the book to works I've read in the last year, from War and Peace (there is a one-eyed cat named General Kutuzov!) to Grand Hotel to The Noise of Time. One of the books I picked up yesterday at Independent Bookstore Day, was the 6th of the Rivers of London series. I've determined that I can spend the rest of my Sunday reading it! I always think of Mumto2 when I read these as she was the one who kept recommending them to me. Thanks, Sandy!!!!! The other 2 books that I'm reading, even if I haven't picked them up in a week, are 3 Men in a Boat and River of Doubt. (Good grief I've got rivers running through most of my current reads!!) Dd seems to be hooked on Rivers of London......she is afraid to turn her kindle on and lose her books. Definitely my child! She also has the new Kevin Hearne in that stack. I think it may be the last in the Iron Druid series. i really need to read A Gentleman in Moscow. It definitely sounds like an audiobook for me too! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 I have been busy looking at Robin's Scandinavian Links. I love the mystery \police procedural s and definitely plan to read one this month. I have several series in progress but have never read a couple of the incredibly popular ones, Jo Nesbo and Stieg Larsson. Decisions! The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo is available on audio so may very well win! The Scandinavian links made me think of one of my favourite books from the YA category that I should have included on the Brit Trip list for Northumbria. The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer was one of my favourite read aloud books ever! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/100476.The_Sea_of_Trolls?ac=1&from_search=true. It starts on Lindsfarne better known as Holy Island. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Ichnield way will be resuming this week. I've so far got 37. John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids (Isle of Wight) 40. Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd (Dorset) ... and will soon be starting Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur (Hampshire), the excessive length of which I plan to make up for in Berkshire by stopping only briefly in Reading Gaol with Mr. Wilde. Meanwhile, a silly personal challenge, which I call The True Random Book Challenge. At random.org, I set the generator to the number of books you own, and then read (or re-read, or reject) the resulting book. The first attempt yielded 41. J. Frank Dobie, A Texan in England Dobie, a Texas folklorist, usually writes about cow herding, outlaws, rattlesnakes, vanished gold mines, and the like; but this is his memoir of his time in 1943 as a scholar of American history at Cambridge. It probably wasn't enough to support a whole book, and at times Dobie falls into the over-familiar English-vs.-American stock genre. But I enjoyed his specifically Texan experience of England and Wales: his discovery that the song of the skylark, so familiar to him from literature, sounds like the southern mockingbird minus the squeaks and whistles; his mild disappointment that the mountains of Wales are, though beautiful, less mountainy than the hills of the Hill Country; and his desperate attempts to get a cup of coffee: Quote And now it was the late afternoon of my second day without coffee.... my head felt as if the slate-cutter were exercising his craftsmanship on it. "We don't serve coffee this time of day," the waitress said. Four young natives in uniform at a table had a hard time hiding their snigger. "Young lady," I said, "I know you don't have any coffee made, but you can brew it, and you will be rewarded this side of heaven after you have brought it unto me. Furthermore, I will dance at your wedding with a cow bell on." Without giving me time to grow impatient, she brought a whole pot, "hot as hell fire and strong as tobacco juice," with a small pitcher of hot milk to mix with it and hot buttered toast and jam. How blessed it is to receive, I thought. Also amusing and charming was his initial anxiety about knowing little of American history or government -- soon dissipated by his discovery that his students preferred hearing stories about cow herding, outlaws, rattlesnakes, and vanished gold mines. The next resort to True Randomness brought up a book I'd totally forgotten I owned: A. E. Ellis' The Rack. It seems this book was popular when it first came out, but Ellis never wrote another one; moreover, Ellis was a pseudonym for one Derek Lindsey, who kept his real name secret until after his death; so Ellis and his novel were soon forgotten. It has the same plot as Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain, but is otherwise completely unlike it, being an intimate and disturbingly detailed account of a young man's sufferings at a tuberculosis sanatorium. When The Rack is done, it's back to BritTripping with Malory. ETA: I will hold Dobie in reserve as a BritTrip wild card, as he seems to have visited most of England's counties. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 7 hours ago, aggieamy said: I've never read any Scandinavian literature. This week I will fix that. Off to research links now. (If anyone has any recommendations I'm happy to take those too. Is there such a thing as a cozy Scandinavian mystery?!?!) There's the Sagas, and the Eddas.... 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 How to get your husband to fix your computer. After days of frustration, he said you can get any computer you like. Honey, I’ve been thinking. I’ve been looking at Mac computers. The Mac book costs the same as a 21 inch desktop. I’d like to get the desktop. May I have $1200.00? Here, let me take a look at your computer, it’s probably just needs a memory upgrade. He’ll be working on that while I’m in Texas. ❤️ 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 Waving from Work! Okay, haven't figure out how to eliminate double spacing when copy and pasting from word. Hmm! I'm taking off Wednesday for Fort Worth for my niece's wedding and will be returning on Sunday. Have an early flight Sunday morning. Totally forgot about the time difference. Urg! Amy has graciously agreed to post Sunday's week 19 thread since I won't have time to post. Will check in when I can. Winding up April and the Blossom bookology challenge A: Atlantis Fallen - C.E.Murphy (Paranormal) V: Mud Vein - Tarryn Fisher (Suspense) E: Black Echo - Michael Connolly (Mystery) N: Nerd's Pocket Pets - D.R. Grady (Romance) Other reads completed in April Flame in the Dark - Faith Hunter (#3 Soulwood, paranormal, 368) Dinner Most Deadly - Sherri Cobb South (#4 Picket, mystery, 231) Too Hot to Handel - S.C.S. (#5 Picket, 226, e) For Deader or Worse - S.C.S (#6 Picket, 283) Hatchet - Gary Paulsen (Kids survival, Canada, 186) Cry Wolf - Patricia Briggs (#1 Alpha and Omega, paranormal, 321, reread) Hunting Ground - P.B. (#2, 306, reread) Fair Game - P.B. (#3, 304) Dead Heat - P.B. (#4, 338) What’s on my book plate for this week: Faith Hunter’s 12th novel in her Jane Yellowrock series – Dark Queen. C.S. Harris 1st book in her Sebastian St. Cyr series - What Angels Fear Robert Jordan’s Crossroads of Twilight - I’m determined to finish this one soon. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 19 hours ago, JennyD said: We have had an exceptionally hectic semester but things slowed down a lot this week. They slowed enough, in fact, for me to suddenly notice the small domestic disasters that I have been studiously ignoring the past four months. These include the unpleasant realities that two of my children require orthodontic treatment, I need glasses, my house smells like a basement when it rains, and somehow I have gained 15 lbs in the last year. So! This week I read The Eight-Hour Diet, by David Zinczenko. The premise is that you can eat whatever you like for 8 hours a day, and then fast for the remaining 16. I have previously done the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet with some success but am just not up to that right now. This seems rather easier, and while the author's claims are IMO wildly overblown and unrealistic, it is definitely helping me stop the evening munching, and I am down about a pound in the last week. Terrible book, though -- very poorly written. I also read The Confusion of Languages, by Siobhan Fallon, a note about two Army spouses in Jordan who have a complicated friendship. I really thought I was going to like this one but it was just meh. Hugs dear heart. I just stepped on the scale for the first time in about a year and yep, up 10 pounds. I can blame in on sodas and chips and anything high fructose corn syrup related. Time to give it up again and increase the walking. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Several currently free books for Kindle readers ~ Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie The Happy Hollisters and the Cowboy Mystery by Jerry West Blades Of Magic (Crown Service Book 1) by Terah Edun Hank Mossberg, Private Ogre: Murder in the Boughs by Jamie Sedgwick Regards, Kareni 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 14 minutes ago, texasmom33 said: Besides that I read a few random books on motherhood and being less crabby- none which are worth recommending, but the big drum roll is that yesterday, I finished my first Bernard Cornwell book ever!!! I finally got around to reading The Last Kingdom and oh my word, I am just big puffy heart fangirling out, and the narrator on Audible, Jonathan Keeble just made it that much better. Swoon. I don't know the last time I was so excited to start a series. The Last Kingdom has been on my list for quite awhile so I am glad to know you liked it. I just need to check out who the narrator is on the Overdrive audio book since I know my library has it! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 I'm back home!! So, I didn't have time to read quite as much as usual in Spain, but I did manage to do some reading... since last I posted (I think I skipped last week altogether): 34. Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie (audiobook) - Lots of shades of grey in this book. I did like it quite a bit, and the perspectives it brought to a complicated subject - what could draw someone to terrorism and what if they change their minds? One way it showed those perspectives was to jump from one person's point of view to another's throughout the book, but never returned to a previous one. That's one thing that kind of distanced me a bit, as it meant after starting to empathize with a character and getting to know them, going forward you only met them again from an outside perspective. But lots to think about. 3.5 stars. 35. Te vendo un perro / I'll Sell You a Dog by Juan Pablo Villalobos (ebook) - Takes place in a cockroach-infested senior living community in Mexico City; our narrator is a frustrated artist who made his living as a taco vendor. Currently feuding with the head of the building's literary discussion group who insists he's writing a novel, while he insists he doesn't even read books much less have any intention of writing one. This summary does not at all do the book justice; it's a fun and funny read, although I'd stay away if you're a dog lover. 3.5 stars. Still reading Kalpa Imperial and Middlemarch. Have to regroup to figure out what's next. On Overdrive, I'm first on the wait list for Notes on a Foreign Country, which I'd requested and they actually bought! But I guess I have to wait for the person who gets to read it first to finish, so I'll have to pick something else out first. And I'm first in line for three audiobooks... next will be whatever comes off hold first. And I have no idea what hardcopy book will be next. Probably should figure out what books my SciFi book club picked out in my absence... 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 This article is almost two years old, but it's fascinating ~ The Secret Libraries of History by Fiona MacDonald Regards, Kareni 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted May 1, 2018 Author Share Posted May 1, 2018 Welcome home Matryoshka. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip. Any pictures to share? More links for cruising the Fjords: More about Swedish Literature I forgot I had Camilla Lackburg in my stacks. Literature from the land of a Thousand Lakes: 10 Finnish classics Norway for Bookworms 10 Scandinavian Crime Novels to Read While Getting Your “Hygge” On Allure of Scandinavian Crime fiction 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 A bookish post from the Word Wenches site ~ What We're Reading - April and, for fun, 38 Must-Have Awesome and Hilarious Book T-Shirts by Kelly Jensen Regards, Kareni 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 9 hours ago, Kareni said: A bookish post from the Word Wenches site ~ What We're Reading - April and, for fun, 38 Must-Have Awesome and Hilarious Book T-Shirts by Kelly Jensen Regards, Kareni I love the T-shirt with the egg and the rooster! I am so tempted to buy it for Ds because he loves T-shirt’s.......Which one is everyone’s favorite? Also there are a couple of books in the Word Wenches letter that I will be adding to the Brit Trip list along with a few of the group’s books like Alice and Wonderland for Tyne and Wear (Thank You!!!!!! VC). Super busy today because my kids have the week off but will have it done tomorrow. Safe travels Robin! We would love pictures......hint, hint! Dd has a birthday on Cinco de Mayo so I am really curious about a wedding celebration with the theme. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 I finished "My Family and other Animals" and am reading another book by Gerald Durrell, "Beasts in My Belfry." I have a couple other books by the same author ready to go when this is finished. I have a couple Norwegian books I could tackle if I get ambitious. They are still in the original Norwegian. I'm not sure my brain is up for it. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 2 hours ago, mumto2 said: I love the T-shirt with the egg and the rooster! I am so tempted to buy it for Ds because he loves T-shirt’s.......Which one is everyone’s favorite? I liked the egg/rooster shirt, too. We are friends with a family where the son's nickname is Egg and his mother's nickname is Hen. I thought of them immediately. While I like many of the shirts, my personal favorite is this one. Regards, Kareni 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 I'm hardly ever reading something that matches the theme of the week, so yippee that I am currently reading sipping Scandinavians: In Search of the Soul of the North. We went to Norway in 2014. I'll upload some pictures this week. When we lived in Denmark, we actually lived along the Limfjorden. Surely I have some pictures of the Limfjorden, but I will have to hunt for them. These are of St. Olaf's Church in Balestrand and the Norwegian Booktown of Fjæreland. The church was the inspiration for the church in Frozen. Fjærland is one of the travel highilghts of my whole life! . 11 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 1 hour ago, Penguin said: I'm hardly ever reading something that matches the theme of the week, so yippee that I am currently reading sipping Scandinavians: In Search of the Soul of the North. We went to Norway in 2014. I'll upload some pictures this week. When we lived in Denmark, we actually lived along the Limfjorden. Surely I have some pictures of the Limfjorden, but I will have to hunt for them. These are of St. Olaf's Church in Balestrand and the Norwegian Booktown of Fjæreland. The church was the inspiration for the church in Frozen. Fjærland is one of the travel highilghts of my whole life! Thanks for sharing your pictures! So lovely. It's like something out of fairy tale. On 4/28/2018 at 5:06 PM, Violet Crown said: Aha! That makes sense. Last time I listened to an audiobook, it was a cassette tape in my Walkman; I didn't know we'd moved on to visuals. No wonder you got turned off audiobooks! I can imagine you at a teenager walking around with your walkman and duffel bag to carry the 48 cassette tapes necessary for The Count of Monte Cristo. 4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Thanks for the link Kareni! I really think these two are cool ... 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Welcome back Matryoshka! You were missed here! Where all in Spain did you go? 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 3 hours ago, wintermom said: I finished "My Family and other Animals" and am reading another book by Gerald Durrell, "Beasts in My Belfry." I have a couple other books by the same author ready to go when this is finished. I have a couple Norwegian books I could tackle if I get ambitious. They are still in the original Norwegian. I'm not sure my brain is up for it. I just finished listening to the audio version of "My Family and Other Animals" and loved it. His writing is a delight to listen to - he is so descriptive. Have you seen this ? - Stories from a Corfu Childhood - Gerald Durrell actually reads these and it is just wonderful! Regarding the t-shirts - this one makes me giggle. And Penguin, I love your pictures! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 8 minutes ago, Mothersweets said: I just finished listening to the audio version of "My Family and Other Animals" and loved it. His writing is a delight to listen to - he is so descriptive. Have you seen this ? - Stories from a Corfu Childhood - Gerald Durrell actually reads these and it is just wonderful! Regarding the t-shirts - this one makes me giggle. And Penguin, I love your pictures! That shirt reminds of a reading quote I found online ... "I'm not addicted to reading ... I can quit as soon as I finish one more chapter." - unknown 3 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 @Penguin I love your pictures! It makes me wonder how it sounds to sing in... I think I prefer this tshirt ? https://www.teemuzic2.com/345?var=insta&retailProductCode=FBCE9E3E12F0F7-A78EF5F8C376-GS0-TC0-PUR Somehow I only get notifications through the site if one react on a post of myself, not a reply on the thread. I can recieve replies per mail, but not as notification on the board? Sometimes the thread is hard to find back, and I used the old notification system to find it back ? 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 39 minutes ago, aggieamy said: Thanks for sharing your pictures! So lovely. It's like something out of fairy tale. No wonder you got turned off audiobooks! I can imagine you at a teenager walking around with your walkman and duffel bag to carry the 48 cassette tapes necessary for The Count of Monte Cristo. Don't be absurd. It was Derek Jacobi reading the Fagles Iliad. And only six tapes (abridged). Penguin, I love those photos, and am eaten up with envy of your travels. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 I'm dipping my toes in the water here because when I've browsed the Book A Week thread it is always very friendly, and because I've just started Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson which is set in Iceland. I see that you are just leaving there. I've read all the Jo Nesbo books that have been translated to English. I had to set the series aside occasionally because it could get so shocking, I couldn't binge read it. My last book was a random discovery that I had missed the most recent Flavours de Luce mystery. It was fine, there is a formula, right? but it is complicated so I don't feel compelled to suss it out. (smile) Another reason why I don't visit regularly is that I walk away with an armload of interesting sounding recommendations. Thank you! 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 1 minute ago, SusanC said: I'm dipping my toes in the water here because when I've browsed the Book A Week thread it is always very friendly, and because I've just started Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson which is set in Iceland. I see that you are just leaving there. I've read all the Jo Nesbo books that have been translated to English. I had to set the series aside occasionally because it could get so shocking, I couldn't binge read it. My last book was a random discovery that I had missed the most recent Flavours de Luce mystery. It was fine, there is a formula, right? but it is complicated so I don't feel compelled to suss it out. (smile) Another reason why I don't visit regularly is that I walk away with an armload of interesting sounding recommendations. Thank you! Welcome Susan! More books to read than time to read is a problem. Just reinforce your nightstand to handle the weight of all the books you're going to want to add because of the thread and stick around. 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 1 minute ago, aggieamy said: Welcome Susan! More books to read than time to read is a problem. Just reinforce your nightstand to handle the weight of all the books you're going to want to add because of the thread and stick around. Yes, summer is coming! Perhaps if I just invested in a larger dimension edition of Don Quixote to better support the base of my stack.... 7 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 4 minutes ago, SusanC said: Yes, summer is coming! Perhaps if I just invested in a larger dimension edition of Don Quixote to better support the base of my stack.... Now you're thinking! Or you could give up on the nightstand all together and just create a tower of books. What types of books do you like? (I'm guessing mysteries at least!) 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Welcome, Susan! 5 minutes ago, SusanC said: Perhaps if I just invested in a larger dimension edition of Don Quixote to better support the base of my stack.... Sounds like a fine plan to me. Or one could always get a larger bedside table... Regards, Kareni 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 22 minutes ago, SusanC said: I'm dipping my toes in the water here because when I've browsed the Book A Week thread it is always very friendly, and because I've just started Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson which is set in Iceland. I see that you are just leaving there. I've read all the Jo Nesbo books that have been translated to English. I had to set the series aside occasionally because it could get so shocking, I couldn't binge read it. My last book was a random discovery that I had missed the most recent Flavours de Luce mystery. It was fine, there is a formula, right? but it is complicated so I don't feel compelled to suss it out. (smile) Another reason why I don't visit regularly is that I walk away with an armload of interesting sounding recommendations. Thank you! Welcome! And I'm sure you aren't the only one lingering in Iceland. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 14 minutes ago, aggieamy said: Now you're thinking! Or you could give up on the nightstand all together and just create a tower of books. What types of books do you like? (I'm guessing mysteries at least!) Yes, mysteries. I like to think of myself as a diverse reader, but truthfully my comfort books are mysteries with strong, confident protagonists. Also on my stack I have Artemis by Andy Weir (The Martian) and The Hate U Give. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 3 hours ago, SusanC said: I'm dipping my toes in the water here because when I've browsed the Book A Week thread it is always very friendly, and because I've just started Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson which is set in Iceland. I see that you are just leaving there. I've read all the Jo Nesbo books that have been translated to English. I had to set the series aside occasionally because it could get so shocking, I couldn't binge read it. My last book was a random discovery that I had missed the most recent Flavours de Luce mystery. It was fine, there is a formula, right? but it is complicated so I don't feel compelled to suss it out. (smile) Another reason why I don't visit regularly is that I walk away with an armload of interesting sounding recommendations. Thank you! Welcome! Have you read Nesbo’s Macbeth? It tempts me, but the reviews are mixed. I haven’t read any Nesbo, but I would like to try at least one. Do you have a recommendation? 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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